Sickle-guide.



No. 666,479. Patented Ian. 22, I901.

J. T. LIGHTNER.

SIOKLE GUIDE.

(Applichtion 616a Mar. 16, 1900.

(No Model.)

W/TNESSES THE noams PETERS co. PnoYo-umu. WASMNQTQN. u. c.

JAMES T. LIGHTNER, OF RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA.

SlCKLE-GUIDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,479, dated January 22, 1901.

Application filed March 13, 1900. Serial No. 8,466. tllo model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JAMES T. LIGHTNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Red Bluff, in the county of Tehama and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Sickle-Guide, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an antifriction-guide for finger-bars on harvesting-machines, by which guide the sickle is held true in every direction without materially increasing the friction attending the movement of the sickle.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of the finger-bar and sickle, illustrating the guide applied. Fig. 2is a section taken practically on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and drawn on a larger scale, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the guide.

A represents a finger-bar which may be of any desired construction. B represents the sickle, and C the fingers, provided with the usual guards O, beneath which the sickle passes.

One or more of the guides D may be employed. Usually, however,but two controlling devices for the finger-bar need be used, even in connection with a sickle of more than ordinary length. The body of the device D comprises, preferably, a base and a tongue 11, which extends from the base. The base is adapted to be secured to the upper face of the finger-bar A in such a manner that the tongue 11 of the device will project over the sickle B.

The device is attached to the finger-bar A in an adjustable manner, and to that end slots 12 are made in the base, one near each end, and bolts 13 are passed through the said slots and into or through the finger-bar A. The tongue 11 of the device does not engage with the sickle, as shown in Fig. 2, as a space intervenes. the upper face of the sickle and the under face of the tongue of the device. The controlling device is provided in its under face with a chamber 14 at the rear portion of the tongue 11, as is shown in Fig. 2; and a ball-race 15 is located in the said chamber, having a threaded stem 16 attached thereto,

and this stem is passed up and out through "erably rollers 20 are held to travel in suitable grooves made in the upper or flanged portion of the cup-wheel l8 and in corresponding grooves made in the upper wall of the chamber 14, as illustrated in Fig. 2; but if in practice it is found desirable the upper balls may be omitted and a washer employed instead; but the upper balls or rollers 20, when used, tend to reduce friction when the cup-wheel 18 revolves. The forward portion of the cup-wheel 18 is intended to engage with the rear edge of the sickle, so that as the sickle is reciprocated or is given end movementit has bearing against a rolling surfaoe namely, the cup-wheels 18 of the controlling devices applied to the finger-bar. A second chamber 21 is made in the under face of the tongue-section 11 of the controlling device, and in this chamber 21 a ring-wheel 22 is mounted to turn. This ring-wheel is adapted to engage with the upper surface of the sickle and also tends not only to overcome the friction usual to the sickle, but also tends to keep the points of the sickle down in a position to produce a proper cut, or so that the said points will readily pass between the tingers O and their guards C.

The ring-wheel 22 contains balls 24, and these balls have bearings upon races 23, which races are secured upon a shaft 24, journaled in the tongue 11, a keeper 11 being secured to the under side of the tongue to hold the journals in place and this keeper being orificed, as shown, to allow the ring 22 to project through it. In order that the ball-race 15 may be readily removed when desired, it is provided in its under face with a slot 26, in

which the blade of a screw-driver or equivalent tool may be introduced, and also in order that the outer end of the tongue 11 may be given any desired inclination to or from the sickle,

so that the Wheel 22 may bear to a greater or less extent upon the sickle,an adj usting-screw 27 is located at the central inner portion of the base 10 of the controlling device, which adjusting-screw has bearing directly upon the finger-bar.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten t A sickle guide for harvesting machines, comprising a body portion having a laterallyprojected tongue formed with a cavity on its under face, an antifriction-roller set in said cavity, the journals of the roller being mounted in the tongue, a keeper secured on the under side of the tongue and engaging the journals to hold the rollerin place, a bolt mounted in the body of the guide and formed with a cone onits lower end, the cone being situated in a cavity in the under side of the body, an antifriction cup wheel mounted on the bolt and situated Within the cavity of the body, bearing-balls engaging the cup-Wheel, and means for fastening the body of the guide adjustably in place.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES T. LIGI'ITNER.

Witnesses:

CHRIS JENSEN, JNo. J. WELLS. 

